Religions of Var-Zyn
Valakos - The Cleansing Fire Valakos is a relatively new god who first appeared in Var-Zyn the arrival of the armies of Caliphate. Adherents of Valakos believe that He is the one true god, embodied within the sun, and that He is locked in eternal struggle with his ancient enemies, the Dark Twins, who are embodied within the worlds two moons. The rise to prominence of the Valakosian faith in the Caliphate also saw the ruthless stamping out of competing religions within the empire, where worship of Valakos is law. The worship of Valakos and interpretation of the Gospel of G’hazadai are prescribed by The Holy Sacellum of The Eternal Light. His followers interchange a number of honorifics when referring to him; using either The One True God, The Bringer of Light and Life, or The Cleansing Fire. Domains: Life, Light The Pentad The Pentad refers to a loose pantheon of regional deities who are worshiped across cultural boundaries in Var-Zyn. The five deities of The Pentad are: Sukayl – The Great Mother Sukayl is the goddess of fertility, life and rebirth. Her followers believe that she exists within all beings, and seek always to grow closer with one another as a form of holy sacrament. She is most commonly venerated among the horse riders of the Kel-Daer. Domains: Life and Nature. Draxxis – The All Father The god of slaughter, Draxxis is worshiped widely throughout the Orcish lands, and in the jungle islands to the north. He is depicted as a particularly savage looking orc with black eyes and a maw of razor sharp teeth. Domains: Death and War. Arejeh – The Torch of Wisdom The goddess of truth, knowledge, and wisdom. Worshiped primarily by the mountain clans of The Tsai Ung. Domains: Knowledge and Light. Kamizakoi – The Furious Wind The goddess of the air and the sea, worshiped widely throughout the Shogunates more remote regions where the worship of The Creators hasn’t taken hold.. Domains: Nature and Tempest. Eskaresh – The Whisperer of Lies The serpent god worshiped mainly in the savage jungle islands of the north. Domains: trickery and death. There is no overarching body that governs the worship of all five deities, and each demand specific things of their followers and clergy, but it is generally true that believers in one of the gods believe in all five. Where worship of these five spans the breadth of Var-Zyn, worship of each is more popular, sometimes nearly exclusive, in one place or another. A temple or shine to any of the five could be found just about anywhere. Sukayl – Kel-Daer Draxxis – The Sharr Arejeh – The Tsai Ung Kamizakoi – Outlying areas of the Shogunate Eskaresh – The Hundred Isles The Old Ones - The Primordial Gods of Ancient Var-Zyn Next to nothing is known of the divine forces which created all existence, save for the scant mentions of them in recovered Eladrin artifacts. It is believed that once, the Eladrin lived as the sole creations of the Old Gods, enjoying a verdant paradise, but then for some reason the Old Gods turned on their creations. Today, neither the Eladrin nor the Old Gods remain on Var-Zyn, save for ruins scattered throughout the far reaches of the land. The Creators - The Successors to The Old Ones The Creators are a collection of divine figures who were worshiped widely across Var-Zyn. Since The Crusade, The Creators are primarily worshiped within the Shogunate. Worship of The Creators is punishable by death within the borders of the Caliphate. It is believed that sometime after The Old Gods abandoned Var-Zyn, the creators arrived and found a pristine land suitable for habitation by sentient life. They commenced to creating the various races of Var-Zyn before withdrawing themselves. The Creators make up a pantheon of many deities, each worshiped differently and for different reasons, though it is universally believed that they have become largely indifferent to the day to day affairs of Var-Zyn. The faith of The Creators is overseen by The Church of The Creators. Paganism Paganism, a set of beliefs native to Jöttiland, involves the veneration of nature and the role it plays in the lives of Jöttilanders. It involves a mix of ritual, sacrifice, and worship, and is administered on a more personal level than the other religions of Var-Zyn by Druids, not Priests.